


Heaven and Hell

by A_Game_of_Chase



Category: DCU - Comicverse, The Flash (Comics)
Genre: Canonical Character Death, F/M, Family, Fix-It, Friendship/Love, Going to Hell, Grief/Mourning, Heaven, Hell, Hurt/Comfort, Love Confessions, M/M, Overdosing, Pipster, Psychological Torture, Romance, True Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-05-16
Updated: 2013-05-16
Packaged: 2017-12-12 01:41:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/805663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Game_of_Chase/pseuds/A_Game_of_Chase
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>James Jesse, the Trickster, gave his life so that Piper might live, so what's he doing in hell.  Meanwhile, Piper tries to deal with the grief of loosing Trickster.  It's a good thing there's a heaven and more importantly, that there are rules about heaven, hell and love</p>
            </blockquote>





	Heaven and Hell

**Author's Note:**

> So I had it in my head that the worst thing Neron could do to Trickster is mess with him mentally/emotionally. As painful as getting roasted for all eternity seems, I think seeing the mess that Piper becomes following James' death is much more effective. After all James threw himself into a hail of bullets to protect him.

It’s in his final moments that James Jesse, also known as the Trickster (the real one…not like that punk kid who stole his name), shows his hand. He’d tricked Neron twice and had always known that he couldn’t risk the demon getting a foothold on him. Hell, the fact that these were his last moments probably revealed his secrets to the devil. If there had been any doubt, those last frantic works “Not him! Not now!” had put them to rest permanently.

He’d saved Piper though, so it was worth it. 

Hell, it turns out, can be custom made to suit the individual being tortured. In the Trickster’s case, it is watching Piper, watching and never being able to stop (even if he shuts his eyes he still sees) or help or anything, he can’t even move (not that it would do any good.) He watches as his friend falls apart, first the initial grief at the death and then Piper starts to talk to him. Well not him exactly because even though Piper addresses the thing as James, James can hear it speaking back and it is certainly not him talking to the musician. If it had been him, well he’d have spilt everything, that he was so sorry about all those awful comments (he can’t even call them jokes anymore), that he was only saying them to make certain his companion still had all that fight and passion still in him, that he’d needed Piper like he needed air (no more than), that in the end he loved him (maybe for longer than he dared explore).

He actually cheers when Desaad’s head explodes. Granted if he’d been able to, he would have made the God’s death infinitely more painful and slow. He’d hurt Piper and well there was no way the Trickster was going to let him get away with a quick death as retribution. Well Piper had gotten there first and James could only love him all the more for still having that wonderful fight of his even after everything.

Neron never lets him enjoy a moment of seeing Piper happy or even briefly at peace (not that it happens often but still…) Instead James is shown reruns of Piper’s worse moments. To date he has watched himself die a total of 11,677 times, though the scenes are not limited to post-James’ death or even post-meeting James. When Piper dreams (and they are almost always nightmares), James see’s their content. 

Through all this the Trickster realizes what an idiot he’d been. Piper had loved him (loves him?) as well only the redhead had such a martyr complex that he’d chosen to suffer in silence rather than ever dare make a move on his straight friend. That makes every rude remark he ever made goes to this little guilty place that’s been building up inside James since Neron started his never-ending montage of Piper’s suffering. 

The worse part comes after Piper forces himself to start seeing a shrink. The musician is given anti-depressants but he never takes them. Not for several months at least. Then one night, James watches Piper with grief etched on his face make the decision to take one to make the pain go away. Something’s off though, two hours later Piper decides that the dose wasn’t enough (or taking effect fast enough James isn’t sure which) and takes a second. While doubling the dose isn’t too dangerous (James is fairly certain that the double dose is a perfectly safe prescription level), after an hour Piper takes a third dose. Soon after James is fairly sure that Piper’s lost all sense of time. Piper lies down, it can’t have been more than a little while (no dreams) and upon getting up takes a forth. Another five minutes pass and a fifth dose is taken.

At this point James is screaming. Piper needs to stop taking them as frequently as he is and James can’t do anything to stop him. Pretty soon Piper is suffering from vomiting interspersed with diarrhea. Dose six comes when he is finally able to leave the bathroom and gets some water.

Piper lies down and James is terrified he won’t wake up. He’s pretty sure that Piper isn’t breathing about two minutes before Wally walks in the door. When the redheaded speedster rushes the musician to the hospital, James holds his breath (he’s not exactly sure if he was breathing before, but he’s definitely not now). After what could easily have been an eternity the doctors give the all clear on Piper’s condition. Needless to say Neron has a new favorite rerun. 

Two days later, Linda visits Piper in the hospital. Neron could have easily switched to a rerun (why show Piper having friends) but as Piper has been shaking and sobbing all morning James gets to watch. He listens as Piper sobs about how Trickster’s death was all his fault and that it’s not fair and that Neron’s probably torturing James as they speak (James really doesn't want Piper to know how true that is).

Linda’s response surprises both Piper and James. She tells her friend that there’s no way James is anywhere but heaven (Wrong!) James gave his life for Piper without thoughts of eternal reward or to be a suicide and that is an express ticket to heaven. James tries and recalls if the “give your life to save a life and go to heaven” thing is true or not. 

Piper lets out a whimper and says, “I still miss him.”

Linda hugs him, “I know sweety, I know.”

Piper then whispers, “I loved him.” From what James can recall it’s the first time Piper’s actually said it (outside of his dreams.)

James doesn’t get to see anymore but he can feel Neron’s presence even if he can’t move to see him. The demon’s grinning, he just knows it. “She’s right about the heaven bit. But I made sure you belong to me little Trickster.”

Neron accidently lets a portion of his hand slip in the coming weeks. The number of reruns has increased tenfold, which in turn alerts James that Piper is doing alright. That little bit of hope makes it so he can watch the past events more or less unfazed. “Piper’s ok, he’s alright, he’s happy” become the mantra constantly going through his head at those times.

During the real-time bits, James gleams that Piper is living with the West’s and that Linda and Wally appear to be in-charge of the rehab process (he agrees with Piper that addiction treatment is stupid as Piper never touched the meds before the OD.) All in all though they seem to be helping (the more reruns the better.)  
Heaven comes to James during one of Neron’s rare neglect of the footage. The Trickster figures he’s trying to take over the world again or something; otherwise there’d be reruns for sure. Piper is sleeping peacefully and James watches enthralled by the sight. Sleep sans nightmares takes years off his face and the absence of all that grief sends so much relief through James that this one image could probably provide joy enough to overpower a millennium of Neron’s torture.

The presence of a heavenly being shocks him almost as much as being able to see Hartley like this. He supposes it must be an angel (god wouldn't waste his time on the likes of him).

“You don’t belong here, come and paradise waits.”

James stares at the image of Hartley before him, “If I went with you would I still be able to see him? If I can’t I’m staying here.”

There is audible surprise, “You would take an eternity of torture specifically at the hands of the devil just to see him. You love him that much.”

He doesn't hesitate, “Yeah, I do.”

“You’ll be able to see him. Come.”

The next thing James knows is that he’s standing (actually physically standing) in Piper’s room at the West’s. Hartley is still sleeping but he murmurs “James.” James isn’t about to waste this opportunity he simply climbs in beside the redhead and wraps his arms around his love. Anything he has to say can wait ‘til morning, right now he’s going to savor this.

If hell can be customized, apparently so can heaven. “I love you,” he whispers kissing the back of Hartley’s neck as Piper snuggles into James’ warmth.

**Author's Note:**

> The next chapter will be Piper's side of all this.


End file.
